Delicious Breakfast Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It turns out that your mother wasn't lying to you. Studies have found that eating breakfast can help you do everything from lose weight to enhance your attention span and your memory. There's no legitimate reason why you should skip breakfast, especially when there are so many delicious breakfast foods that you have yet to try.

Whether you have time to cook a big breakfast at home or you need to grab a quick breakfast on the go, you have options that will make breakfast your favorite meal of the day. By comparison, lunch and dinner will inevitably be letdowns — and that's okay.

There are certain breakfast foods you deserve to taste at least once. Here is the definitive list of those foods so you can figure out which ones to add to your breakfast bucket list.

These are the delicious breakfast foods you need to try before you die

Belgian waffles

When compared to regular, American waffles, Belgian waffles are a completely different species. Most notably, Belgian waffles are crispier, have deeper and bigger pockets, and are typically larger. If you hate mushy waffles that lose their form the moment your fork makes contact, switch to Belgian waffles and don't look back. You'll find that the sturdiness of these waffles makes them easier to eat and their heartiness will fill you up faster. Add a generous amount of maple syrup and butter and you'll be on your way to having a memorable breakfast.

Monkey bread

Whether you call it monkey bread, pinch-me cake, bubble loaf, or sticky bread, it all tastes absolutely delicious. This stuff is basically soft pull-apart bread that has been blessed with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. A popular variation incorporates coffee flavor, especially if it's going to be eaten in the morning. Chopped pecans are also commonly added to this coveted breakfast food. While many people eat monkey bread for breakfast, it is also sold at carnivals and fairs, as the fact that it's a finger food makes it easy to eat while on the move.

Huevos rancheros

Traditionally, huevos rancheros are fried eggs that have been smothered in salsa and served with corn tortillas and black beans. Nowadays, it's common to order huevos rancheros and get scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs and flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. Either way, though, this Mexican-born breakfast food is delicious. Exactly how delicious it is depends on the quality of the salsa, so head to an authentic Mexican restaurant if you want to get the best of the best. If you like green salsa better than red salsa, go with the huevos rancheros verdes and you'll be thrilled to the bone.

Greek yogurt with muesli

Greek yogurt and muesli is a glorious combination that you should enjoy at least one time before your time on this earth has come to an end. Compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is strained multiple times, which makes it thicker. Muesli is an oatmeal dish that has rolled oats and other ingredients such as seeds, nuts, and dried chunks of fruit. Mix these two things together the next time you're eating breakfast and you'll understand why it's such a wonderful marriage.

Bacon-infused Bloody Mary

Have you ever had one of those days that calls for a Bloody Mary for breakfast? Infuse your Bloody Mary with bacon and you'll get the vodka you need in a form that passes as a legitimate breakfast food. You can either buy a bacon Bloody Mary mix or let a few pieces of cooked bacon rest in a liter of vodka in the refrigerator for two or three days. Whether you go the premade route or the do-it-yourself route, try this boozy breakfast idea at some point before you perish.

Pop-Tarts

If you've never eaten Pop-Tarts for breakfast, what planet are you from? You'll need to fix that right away by heading to your local grocery store and picking up a box. If you need help selecting a flavor, the best Pop-Tarts flavors include S'Mores, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Cherry. However don't be afraid to try some more unusual varieties too. While most flavors of Pop-Tarts are delightful, you should avoid those that are unfrosted, as the frosting is one of the best parts of the entire equation. Some people heat up their Pop-Tarts in the microwave but that's sacrilegious. These goodies should be placed in a toaster before going directly into your mouth.

Steamed pork buns

At your favorite Chinese restaurant, steamed pork buns may be called bao or baozi. This delicious breakfast food is basically an extremely soft bun that has been stuffed with pulled pork. The texture of the bun isn't mushy, but it magically melts in your mouth while you're chewing it. The pulled pork could be tangy or sweet depending on the restaurant, however it's scrumptious either way. Be warned that one or two of these steamed pork buns won't be enough to satisfy your hunger. You'll want at least five or six, especially the first time you try them.

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is a dish that was invented in the 1800s in New York City. It's now a popular breakfast food from sea to shining sea. If you've never experienced the wonder that is Eggs Benedict, it's basically poached eggs on top of English muffin halves and ham or Canadian bacon that have been drenched with hollandaise sauce. Sometimes, you can find Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, bacon, or avocado slices. However, if it's your first time, start with the classic version and sprinkle a little bit of paprika on it if you want it to be kicked up a notch.

Blueberry pancakes

While you can mix everything from chocolate to pumpkin and from honey to bacon into your pancakes, nothing tops blueberry pancakes. It's the perfect add-in. If you put fresh blueberries into your pancake mix, be sure to not stir it too much because you don't want your blueberries to break up. If you use frozen blueberries, you don't need to let them defrost at all. Simply add the frozen blueberries to your pancake mix and they'll be perfect by the time they are on your fork and headed to your taste buds.

Breakfast tacos

Breakfast tacos are a South Texas treat that are quickly spreading across the country. Depending on who you believe, breakfast tacos were brought to life in either Austin or San Antonio. Although some people mistakenly call these things breakfast burritos, breakfast tacos are different because they aren't rolled up. While there are a variety of different combinations, if you're looking to cross breakfast tacos off of your bucket list, start with a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast taco and then go from there. Or, if you're a coward when it comes to trying new things, start with the very simplistic bean and cheese breakfast taco. Simple, yes, but it still manages to pack a flavorful punch.

Fruit smoothie

You don't necessarily need to eat your breakfast. You could also opt to drink it down. A fruit smoothie is a perfectly acceptable breakfast food that will give you enough calories, vitamins, and minerals to rev up your day. While strawberry is the most popular fruit used in a fruit smoothie, that's not where you should start if you're a fruit smoothie newbie. Instead, go with a mango smoothie. You won't need to add much (if any) sugar and the result will be a wonderful breakfast concoction that you'll be thinking about for the rest of your day.

Monte Cristo sandwich

The basic Monte Cristo sandwich features ham and Swiss cheese between two pieces of bread. Next, it's lathered with egg and then finally it's either deep-fried or fried in a pan, and often served with a side of jelly. The result is oh so yummy. You can also find Monte Cristo sandwiches that use turkey instead of ham or Gruyere cheese instead of Swiss cheese and the result is just as good either way. If you're eating it for breakfast, feel free to sprinkle a heap of powdered sugar on top or even drizzle maple syrup on it.

Longsilog

At least once in your life, head to the Philippines to try the fantastic breakfast food that they call longsilog. It's not a complicated dish but it's breath-taking. Longsilog is sausage, fried rice, and fried egg that is usually served with slices of fresh cucumber and tomato. The sausage used in longsilog is minced meat that has been spiced with garlic and black pepper. While this is a heavy breakfast that will likely keep you full through lunch time, it deserves a spot on your bucket list.

Krispy Kreme donuts

It's impossible to talk about delicious breakfast foods and not mention donuts from Krispy Kreme. Sure, these sugary treats won't jive with your diet plan — but everyone deserves to indulge in one of these donuts at least once in their life. Otherwise, existence would be too gloomy. The key to Krispy Kreme is the freshness of their donuts. They truly have no rival in that department. If you're new to Krispy Kreme, start with the Original Glazed. If you're feeling brave, go ahead and get the Chocolate Iced with Custard Filling.

Shrimp and grits

If you head to the South, you may be blessed with the opportunity to eat shrimp and grits for breakfast. This breakfast food is especially popular in the states of Georgia and South Carolina. If you've never had grits, it's basically boiled hominy or boiled cornmeal that is then mixed with corn and butter. When shrimp is added to the mix, an authentic recipe also includes paprika, black pepper, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and some cheddar cheese. Sometimes you will even find small pieces of ham in your shrimp and grits, which adds another layer to the flavor of this epic breakfast meal.

Chilaquiles

Mexican food for breakfast is always a great idea. Chilaquiles is a dish that begins with corn tortillas that are fried very gently. Next, pulled chicken, refried beans, cheese, and scrambled eggs are added on top. To finish off this spectacular dish, salsa is poured over everything. Both red salsa or green salsa is perfectly acceptable. Guacamole can be added but it's optional. Honestly, with so many flavors competing for your attention already, you don't really need it. Just grab a fork, put on a bib, and dig in.

Oatmeal with berries

There are a ton of ways to make oatmeal. You can make it in the refrigerator overnight, use a slow cooker, or just heat it up quickly in the microwave. No matter how you decide to make it, what really matters is what you mix into your oatmeal. There's a world full of options but when you cut to the chase, there's nothing that can compete with berries. While you can use frozen berries in oatmeal, fresh berries usually end up tasting better. Popular berries to put in oatmeal include strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. However, don't miss out on trying blackberries and huckleberries. Both of those go great in oatmeal.

Frittata

The great thing about a frittata is that the variations are literally endless. A frittata simply requires you to fry eggs in skillet and add whichever meats, vegetables, and cheeses you desire that morning. If you're yearning for the best frittata imaginable, go with either feta or goat cheese and some combination of spinach, mushrooms, artichoke, and zucchini for your vegetables. As far as the meat is concerned, you can't go wrong with either ham or bacon.

Full English breakfast

If you wake up starving one morning and you just want to taste a bit of everything, find somewhere in your town that serves a full English breakfast. While what you get differs slightly depending on the restaurant, you can expect to get sausages, bacon, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, toast with butter, and eggs. The eggs can either be scrambled or fried. To drink, go with coffee or tea in addition to a glass of orange juice. This is truly a breakfast feast that you should try once before you die. If you don't, you'll have missed out on something special.

Peanut butter & banana stuffed French toast

While there are plenty of delicious ways to make French toast, stuffing it with peanut butter and banana is what you should do if you want to reach breakfast nirvana. In addition to the peanut butter and banana, you should also add a bit of honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a little bit of rum. Normal French toast is good and almost deserves a spot on this list. However, this variant is so tasty that you'll forget all about normal French toast.

Steak and eggs

You love steak. Why not eat it for breakfast? All you need to do is to fry up some eggs alongside your steak and you have a meal that you can eat for breakfast without any shame. While you can go with sirloin or strip steak, the best options are either rib eye or tenderloin. As far as the eggs are concerned, scrambled won't do. For a real steak and eggs breakfast, you need the eggs to be sunny side up. If you want sauce for your steak, skip the steak sauce and reach for Worcestershire sauce instead.

Calas

If you're familiar with Creole cuisine, you know all about calas. These dumplings are sometimes called rice donuts or rice fritters, as they're made from a combination of rice, eggs, flour, sugar, and yeast. Once the batter is ready, this breakfast food is deep-fried until it's a golden brown. The last step is to sprinkle powdered sugar on top and then serve it hot. If you're eating these for the first time in your life, order a cup of coffee and add some hot milk to it. Then, dip the calas in the coffee. The resulting taste will make your taste buds cheer.

Egg McMuffin

If you want a delicious breakfast from a fast food eatery, the Egg McMuffin is king. The Egg McMuffin debuted back in 1971 and nearly 50 years later, this breakfast sandwich is still why McDonald's has a better breakfast menu than all their fast food competitors. If you've never eaten one, it's time to change that before death finds you. An Egg McMuffin has egg, Canadian bacon, and American cheese. An English muffin is buttered to perfection and then utilized to hold all the ingredients together. Considering this McDonald's breakfast food is cheap and only has 300 calories, you can justify eating one each and every morning on your way to work.

Chorizo hash

If you have demanding taste buds that call for perfection right when you wake up, chorizo hash is a great option. Chorizo, which a pork sausage upgraded with paprika and other spices, and diced potatoes play starring roles in this dish. For chorizo hash done right, you'll also want to add yellow onion, green onion, bell pepper, and chili powder. Once it has been fried in a skillet, you can add salsa or sour cream, depending if you want some more heat or not.

Bear claw

A bear claw is a pastry that is somewhere between a Danish and a fritter. Once you look at a bear claw, you'll know exactly why it got that name because it, well, looks like a bear's foot. A bear claw usually has a sugary glaze on top and raisins inside of it. The other ingredients vary, however popular fillings include almond paste, cream cheese, butter pecan, cherry, apples, and grape jelly. Eat one of these for breakfast and add some excitement to your day before you head out.

Chicken and waffles

If you've never had soul food for breakfast, you better hope you get the chance, because you'll regret not trying it at least once. Chicken & waffles may sound like an odd pairing but don't knock it until you try it. Once you give it a whirl, you'll never go back to bland breakfast food again. All you need for a proper chicken & waffles meal is a stack of waffles, which you can add butter and syrup to if you wish. Then, you get one or two pieces of fried chicken, put it on the plate, eat it together, and praise whoever invented this stupendous combo.

Egg in a hole

An egg-in-a-hole (or whatever you call it) is simple and delicious — but too many people go their whole life without trying it. Don't let that be you. You can make an egg-in-a-hole with simple directions and just a few minutes of free time in the morning. First, get a slice of bread. Next, cut out a hole in the middle. Then you add the piece of bread to a hot, buttered skillet. Finally, you crack an egg and drop it into the hole you made in the bread. After about a minute, you flip over the piece of bread to finish cooking it. Voila, you're done.

Banana bread

You can eat banana bread at any point in the day. However, with a few alterations, banana bread can turn into a perfect breakfast. You can dip it in egg and milk and then use it to make French toast. You can spread peanut butter on it and eat it like a sandwich. You can put it in a toaster and then eat it with maple syrup slathered on top. You can put honey on banana bread and then top it with granola. The moral of this story is don't overlook the almighty banana bread and its versatility — especially when it comes to breakfast.

Black pudding

If you've never heard of black pudding, you'll be surprised to learn that it's actually a type of sausage. A blood sausage that comes from the United Kingdom, to be specific. The sausage combines pork blood, pork fat, oatmeal, and spices like thyme and mint. If you buy it at a grocery store, it tastes best if you fry it or grill it. Black pudding is often served with eggs, especially when eaten for breakfast.

Johnnycake

Johnnycakes have a long history in this part of the world. In fact, Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to make them. A Johnnycake is a flatbread made out of cornmeal. It usually contains milk, salt, and sugar. This is an amazing breakfast to eat if you're on a tight budget, as you can forgo the sugar and use water instead of milk. A johnnycake may sound like a bland breakfast option but there's a tasty reason why it's been eaten in these parts for hundreds of years.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cinnamon Toast Crunch tends to be a polarizing cereal option. People either love this cereal or hate it — there's rarely ever any middle ground. If you've never eaten it before, you should definitely do so at least once. Once you do, you'll be able to pick a side. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is exactly what the name suggests: crunchy squares of goodness that have been toasted and then sprinkled with a lot of cinnamon and sugar. Once you're done with your bowl of this cereal, the remaining milk in your bowl is heavenly. In fact, drinking the remaining milk is almost as pleasing as eating the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal itself.

Breakfast casserole

Everyone knows a casserole makes a great dinner. But did you know breakfast casseroles are a delicious way to start your day? While there are many different recipes you can follow, a proper breakfast casserole will have sausage or bacon as the meat, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, shredded hash browns, diced onion, chopped tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, milk, olive oil, and of course a ton of eggs. To add more flavor to the casserole, you can add black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. If you want it thicker, add heavy cream.

Biscuits and gravy

You don't want to eat a plain biscuit for breakfast. That's too boring. You could add a bit of jam or honey but that still isn't too exciting. If you want to take your biscuits to the next level, eat a breakfast of biscuits and gravy. You can make it at home or find it at local diner or even at a fast food restaurant. McDonald's used to serve biscuits and gravy but they don't anymore. If you're near a Whataburger, they have an amazing option that features two buttermilk biscuits topped with flavorful sausage gravy.

Scrapple

Scrapple is something that tastes better when you don't know how it's made. Try it once in your life, even if you think it sounds like it'd be disgusting. You'll honestly be surprised. Scrapple is made with pork scraps, combined with buckwheat flour and cornmeal. Those three ingredients are turned into a mush and then formed into a loaf. That loaf is fried in a pan and then served hot. Scrapple is popular in Amish communities, and can be found in grocery stores near those communities.

Irish soda bread

Irish soda bread is a type of bread you can make from scratch relatively fast and it makes a delectable breakfast. It's a combination of flour, sugar, butter, buttermilk, and egg. You can optionally add raisins into the mix for a burst of flavor. After it's finished cooking in the oven, let it cool and then cut it into slices. Irish soda bread tastes best with citrus marmalade or a heaping scoop of butter. If your bread turns out too dry, the next time you make it add some more buttermilk.

Youtiao

Youtiao is a breakfast food that is very popular in Asia. While it sounds easy to make, it's a difficult breakfast food to master. If you've never tried it, you should first eat it at a restaurant. Youtiao is basically dough that is cut into logs and then deep-fried. The key to frying these things is that it needs to be really hot and then you have to avoid touching it while it cools. When done right, Youtiao is a breakfast food that you will remember for the rest of your days on Earth.

Nutella crepes with strawberries

A crepe by itself is pretty underwhelming, as it's essentially a thin, fragile pancake. However, crepes can become delicious depending on how you dress them up. While the options are plentiful, the absolutely best way to eat crepes is with Nutella and strawberries. While Nutella isn't as popular in America as it is in Europe, it's a must if you want to make the best crepes possible. Add strawberries on top and you will have a breakfast that will start your day right.

Western omelette

If the idea of an omelette for breakfast makes you yawn, you've obviously never had a Western omelette. What makes a Western omelette a Western omelette is the addition of red bell peppers, green bell peppers, onions, and scallions. You'll also want to add diced boiled ham and a generous amount of cheese. The cheese could be cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, or Monterey Jack. Once the omelette is done cooking, you can add some black pepper on top to complete its transformation from boring to an exciting breakfast meal.

Potato pancakes

Potato pancakes are flat, circular, and flavorful goodies that you'll learn to love to inhale for breakfast. All you need is grated potato, flour, grated onion, and some applesauce (or, if you don't have applesauce, an egg). Mix all the ingredients and then fry it in a pan with a liberal amount of oil. After the potato cakes are done, you will need to listen to your sweet tooth. If you want it sweet, top it with a layer of powdered sugar. If you want your potato pancakes savory, go with cottage cheese instead. It's also acceptable to skip a topping and just eat it plain.

Bacon and egg tarts

Tarts made with bacon and egg make a marvelous breakfast food. For the crust, it's easiest to just use sandwich bread. First, remove the crust of the bread and then cut the bread into pieces so that the pieces can fit in a muffin tin. The bread will be topped with a mixture made from eggs, cheddar cheese, and smoked bacon. If you don't have smoked bacon, Canadian bacon is a tasty replacement. Once it's done in the oven, it'll be time to eat breakfast with a smile on your face.

Kolache

A kolache is fruit-filled pastry that is so addicting that there's no way you could just eat one for breakfast. The proper kolache has extremely light, puffy dough that is pleasant to bite into and doesn't crumble in your fingers. If you're making kolaches at home, the easiest thing to do is just to use fruit pie filling. The type of pie filling you go with is only limited by your imagination. Lemon, blueberry, apple, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry are all fantastic choices.

Corned beef hash and fried eggs

While you can try to make your own corned beef hash at home, this is one of the few things that ends up tasting almost just as good out of the can as it does when it's homemade from scratch. Thus, go ahead and save some time and pick up a few cans of corned beef hash on your next trip to the supermarket. The real secret involves what you put on top of it. After your corned beef hash is done cooking, you must fry a couple eggs and then gently place them on top. Then, let the egg yolk flow freely and cover the corned beef hash. Eat it all up and your breakfasts will never be the same.

Cinnabon cinnamon roll

A cinnamon roll for breakfast can get you ready for anything your day has to offer. Even if the sky is cloudy, you hate your job, and you wish you could just crawl back into bed, a cinnamon roll can lift your spirits. And, best of all, you don't even need to do any of the heavy lifting. Instead, head to your local Cinnabon. Their cinnamon rolls are world famous for a reason. If your day is off to a really bad start, order two and you'll have a grin in no time.

Quiche Lorraine

At least once in your life, you need to try quiche Lorraine. This delicious breakfast is served in a pie crust and it contains eggs, bacon, and a lot of cheese. The best quiche Lorraine has Swiss cheese, Gruyere cheese, and Parmesan cheese. This quiche is then spiced with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The cheesy goodness mixed with the bacon will have you calling Lorraine's name in the morning when you're in the mood for greatness for breakfast.

Cold pizza

Why does pizza always seem to taste better the next morning? That's one of the universe's unanswered questions — but it's definitely true. If you ordered pizza last night but you weren't able to finish it off, just eat it this morning without heating it up. You may find that the flavors will be more intense, the cheese will be more satisfying, and the crust has a more enjoyable texture. If you're ordering a pizza specifically to let it cool off and eat it cold, the best toppings to go with include bacon, sausage, black olives, and green peppers.